Featured Why did this bowl estimated to sell for $50-100, sell for $2250

Skinner's estimate for this bowl was $50-$100. I know yellow glaze is very desirable, however, there must be more to this than the color. Any clue why?

https://www.skinnerinc.com/auctions/3725T/lots/1254

 

Very nice looking bowl. Yes,really like that bright yellow. But unfortunately that’s all I know..

 

I've read that yellow is a particularly difficult color to achieve in a glaze and has Imperial associations in China. All of which is probably irrelevant in modern times, but if the piece is antique...?

It does look nicely proportioned and potted, and the color is beautiful.

 

It is Imperial Yellow, and gorgeous. As mos said, Imperial Yellow (Minghuang) was reserved for use by the emperor's household only. It is highly sought after.

 

Yes! I have a clue, pottery people are NUTS!
A pot just sold at Doyle a few days ago for 2.5 million.

https://www.antiquers.com/threads/a-2-45-million-usd-vase.65567/#post-4313262

 

Of course, I just paid 6k for a piece of "brown furniture" that had a sale estimate of $300-$600.

 

Nice imperial yellow piece (imperial because yellow/gold was reserved for the emperor.)
The inscription 大清雍正年制 / Da Qing Yong Zheng Nian Zhi / Made in the year of Yong Zheng of the Qing Dinasty looks good, yet, for an auction house to estimate that it would sell that low is a bit weird; auction houses' experts usually can tell what something is worth... Under estimated hammer value to attract bidders? Never know, but I've seen other pieces go for thousands of dollars when the estimate was quite low.

 

Somebody didn't do their homework.

 

You would expect Skinner to know.

 

And I bet it was second hand too.

 

Well, the thing is, most auction houses do not have the resources to hire experts to oversee the collector categories.
Only 2 that I know do, Sotheby & Christies, the result is many auction houses often miss objects or do not fully understand what they really have, this happens A LOT!
Their main function is marketing & selling, not scholarship.

 

Another Skinner estimate for $400 to $600 that closed at $5000. Two Chinese blue and white covered jars.

https://www.skinnerinc.com/auctions/3725T/lots/1277

 

Very interesting information and thank you for it. I tend to presume these Auction Houses always know what they have!

 

I expect the big money was in the wooden covered jar, I’ve got several of the prunus ones in different sizes, I suppose should get them checked out.

 

And they sometimes employ eager but as-yet-not-well-trained grad students...

 

Aren't ceramics supposed to be Skinner's specialty? You get a pot... take it to Skinner. They have to be aware of the Chinese ceramics market. Crazy things go on there. I'm really curious as to the purchaser of this, and of the vase in that other discussion. If they're not on the way back to China, it's a safe bet there was Chinese money running up the prices.

If Skinner's going to deal Asian ceramics, they better get an expert.

 

I have one as well. I think i better go look at mine as well!

 

As soon as I saw yellow with a Chinese mark I went "Aha", and it's not like I know Chinese ceramics. Either Skinner's really missed the boat, or that was a "Come and buy me" estimate as they say on the Beeb. Every once a while an auction house will deliberately put a low estimate on something, figuring it might set off a bidding war. Which has happened.

But more than likely they just screwed up.

 

Thank you for that information. It makes me wonder, what price would have been realized in a well publicized auction with correct information.

 

I sold a porcelain antique set decorated with a coat of arms with Christies. The specialist at Christies told me there was no way to find any information to identify the crest. It took me five minutes to find heraldic researcher. For a small fee, I received a full report of the history of the mark. Of course, Christies used it in the description.